'He’s the bane of the fashion industry': Models turn on Heidi Klum’s ‘bulldozer’ father

He helped turn his daughter Heidi Klum into one of the world's richest models.

But now Guenther Klum, 66, is being slammed by the fashion industry for his 'hard-bargaining' antics.

According to German magazine Der Spiegel, Mr Klum, who continues to act as Heidi's manager, is turning away clients 'in droves'.

The news source reports that contestants from the popular reality television show, Germany's Next Top Model (GNTM), were fuelling the conflict.

As managing director of Heidi Klum GmbH
& Co. KG, Mr Klum negotiates all of the advertising deals and contracts for the show, which features women competing for the chance to become a top model and is hosted by 38-year-old Heidi.

However
the report issued yesterday claims that former Topmodel winners are abandoning Mr Klum, because of his failure to secure lucrative deals.

It alleged: 'Former Topmodel candidates he
represents are abandoning him in droves.

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Speaking to former participants, who weren't paid for their appearance, Der Spiegel called into question Mr Klum's management skills.

Neele Hehemann, 23,
a model who appeared in the fifth season of GNTM and, after three months, reportedly hired
an attorney to help her get out of a contract with Klum, said: 'The girls
really don't understand what they're signing.

'He didn't
get me a single job during that time, and he didn't let me go to any
casting calls. At some point, it became a financial problem for me.'

Meanwhile last year's winner, Jana
Bella had a highly publicised row with Mr Klum and claimed that the two
months she spent with him her the 'worst' of her life.

Upset: Neele Hehemann appeared in the fifth season of GNTM

Family ties: Heidi Klum's modelling career has been managed by her father

Mr Klum was previously a production manager
for German perfume brand 4711.

But proceeded to manage his 5'9'' daughter's modelling career after
successfully encouraging her to star in a popular German television
show, Gottschalk Late Night Show, when she was 18.

But Mr Klum isn't the only fashion mogul to come under fire recently.

This week designer Marc Jacobs was pulled up by commentators for not paying his models and making them work unfairly long
hours in the process.

In response to the accusations, he said on Twitter: 'If they don't want to work w/ us, they don't have to.'

One model revealed that she wasn't paid for over 30 hours of work for the designer during New York fashion week.

In a bid to provide contestants of GNTM with financial support Der
Spiegel confirmed that next season finalists will
receive employment contracts
guaranteeing them a fixed income.